Ed. Note: A version of this article originally appeared at IoP Journal.
GS1 Brasil is offering a series of courses on global product identification standards for professionals in diverse industries and different departments within companies. According to Flavia Ponte, GS1 Brazil’s education manager, the organization is providing preparation for certifications, as well as a course in partnership with Harvard University, which can be completed in Brazil or online, with international recognition. Click here to watch Ponte’s recent interview (in Portuguese) with IoP Journal’s YouTube channel.
GS1’s standards are recognized worldwide for helping companies reduce costs through improvements in their processes and supply chains, facilitating the choice of solutions and equipment from different manufacturers, commercializing global markets and more. The courses being offered, the organization says, are essential to understanding how to achieve the best benefits from GS1, which is responsible for assigning barcodes, QR codes and Data Matrix codes, in addition to radio frequency identification.
Flavia Ponte
Ponte says the courses are currently being worked out under two brands, GS1 Brazil and Korde, and the schedule can be found here. “The theme of GS1 Brazil, the Brazilian Automation Association, revolves around the standards of the GS1 system,” she explains. “That is, identification of commercial products; variable data management of products and logistic units; EPC and RFID, which address the importance of standards in emerging technologies; traceability using GS1 system standards; online sales, including product registration; identification for the health sector; and the National Register of Products.”
Korde was founded with the purpose of offering education to the market. The GS1 initiative works with themes related to automation, logistics, innovation and trends, and it has two other pillars: consultancy and data. Its grid changes annually, Ponte says. “This year, we had blockchain, innovation in packaging, labeling, etc.,” she states. “In addition to the Harvard Management Mentor Program, the partnership between GS1 Brazil and Harvard Business Publishing offers an e-learning platform which directly supports the development of leadership and competence management.”
According to Flavia, each course has its own profile, and the technologies covered depend on the course theme. “We always work with technologies for identifying, capturing and sharing product data,” she says. “It’s worth noting that any company or professional can take the courses.” The program can be accessed via GS1’s website, which will provide up-to-date information about the course agenda and registration.
In addition, GS1’s Innovation and Technology Center has equipment for automating retail logistical processes, e-commerce and drug traceability, which works with solutions supported by such technologies and standards as barcodes, Data Matrix, Data Bar, EPC RFID and more, for capturing, identifying and sharing information. “Today,” Ponte states, “we have the experience of physical visits in São Paulo and Brasília, in addition to the virtual tour.”
Face-to-face meetings are now being allowed with groups of up to five people, following the period of restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “We also have the option of visits monitored by the virtual CIT,” Ponte says. Applications for both models can be submitted online.